COSTA MESA, Calif. – For the seventh consecutive year, CareCredit has donated $100,000 to the ADA Foundation Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) Fund. This year, half of the grant amount is designated to support the Ad Council’s 2min2X oral care campaign through funding of four major events:
•One dental school screening for underserved children
• Two elementary school education events for underserved children (California and Missouri)
• Missions of Mercy/Give Kids A Smile children’s oral health education and treatment event at the 2013 ADA Annual Session
Each event will incorporate the Ad Council’s 2min2x oral care campaign, educating and encouraging children to spend two minutes brushing their teeth twice a day, and providing free oral care education and toothbrush kits.
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The first oral education event was held recently at Troth Elementary School in Jurupa Valley, Calif., with nearly 950 students attending. Many of the children said this was the first time they'd had their own toothbrush. The fourth event, Missions of Mercy/Give Kids A Smile, will receive half of the designated $50,000 and is a one-day event to be held in conjunction with the ADA Annual Session in New Orleans on Nov. 3, 2013. During the session, dentists and dental team members will volunteer their services to provide 200 underserved children with education, screening, sealants, fluoride, and any treatment needed.
“These events will enable us to deliver a message about good oral health to thousands of parents and children this year,” said Cindy Hearn, senior vice president of branding and communications for CareCredit, 2013 advisory committee member of the GKAS National Advisory Committee, and an ADA Foundation board member. “As the founding donor of the ADA Foundation GKAS Fund, we are pleased that a portion of our grant will be used for these exciting programs and can, in a unique and relevant way, improve the lives of children who have little to no access to dental care.”
For more information about the GKAS events, visit facebook.com/GiveKidsASmile or follow GKAS on Twitter @GiveKidsASmile.
